After trying for 2 years (and after 2 miscarriages) I finally conceived in September of 2021.

I was 24 weeks pregnant when my blood pressure started to rise. I was told to stop working immediately and go on medical leave. A week later I was at an MFM appointment when my blood pressure shot up to 168/108 along with my son being IUGR and having issues from the lack of nutrients from the umbilical cord. I was told to drop everything and immediately go to the hospital to be monitored.

I spent a month in the hospital with severe preeclampsia, my blood pressure was manageable but the protein in my urine was over 4,000mg! Yes, you read that right and no I did not add too many zeros. I was given two rounds of emergency steroids for the baby's lung development and magnesium sulfate. After my doctors started seeing reverse blood flow from the umbilical cord and the baby's heart started to decelerate significantly it was "go time".

At 29 weeks and 3 days I had an emergency C-section and gave birth to a 1lb 15oz, 14.75 inch miracle. He spent 61 days in the Valley Hospital NICU where we were treated like family and came home before his due date weighing 4.88 lbs. Today, Kaiden is about 10 months old and weighs over 17lbs! Without the swift decision making of our doctors my story could have had a worse ending. While the trauma from it all still impacts me today, I am so glad to be on the other side alive and to see my son defeat all odds. He truly is our miracle baby. Please remember that it is OKAY to seek help after a traumatic birth, the best thing I did for myself and my family was to start seeing a therapist to work through my PTSD/PPD/PPA from the whole ordeal.